Nov. 11, 2006

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Freshman Max Venker (Oldsmar, FL/Palm Harbor University High) scored twice to lead #12 Johns Hopkins (18-1-2) to a 3-1 win over Christopher Newport (15-5-2) in the second round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Saturday night at Homewood Field. With the win, Hopkins ties a school record for wins in a season at 18.

Freshman sweeper Tommy McQueen (West Hartford, CT/Choate Rosemary Hall) put Hopkins on the board in the 13th minute on a penalty kick, after sophomore Akash Naik (Simpsonville, SC/Hillcrest) was fouled in the penalty box by CNU's Matt Page. He shot low to the left post as CNU goalie Matt Tengs dove to right. It was McQueen's second goal of the season - both have come on penalty kicks.

Less than a minute later, Michael Caro fired a hard shot on the Hopkins' net. Senior goalie Danny Coble (Fremont, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) charged out deflected the ball but it was headed for the goal, when McQueen stepped in and knocked it off the line. Hopkins took a 2-0 lead in the 65th minute off Venker's first of the night. Sophomore Ethan Mulligan (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) sent a long ball into the box from the left touchline. Venker flicked the ball off his head from the top of the box into the upper right corner of the goal.

In the 66th minute, sophomore Malcolm Stewart (Santa Rosa, CA/Montgomery) had a chance to give Hopkins a three-goal cushion, but hit the post on an open goal. In the 70th minute, it was Venker again, scoring on a chip from the top of the box off a cross from Stewart. McQueen came to the rescue again in the 86th minute when he raced back to the goal and cleared the ball out after Coble was beaten by a low CNU shot. The Captains ended the Blue Jays bid at a shutout when amidst a scramble in the box, James Nugent scored in the 87th minute for CNU.

Coble finished with one save in goal for the Blue Jays, while Tengs had three saves in the loss. Hopkins, which is making its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, advances to the round of 16 for the fifth time under head coach Matt Smith. Hopkins will play the winner of the Amherst-Western New England game, which will be played Sunday. The location and time of the Blue Jays next game will be announced Monday morning.